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science

Morbid, yet interesting

11 o'clock, November 2, 2005

The San Francisco Chronicle recently published this chart showing the frequency of suicides at each point along the Golden Gate bridge, based on Golden Gate Transportation Authority records using the bridge light poles as reference points.

What you immediately notice, looking at the chart, is that the vast majority of jumpers have jumped from the eastern (inward-facing) side of the bridge. What’s up with that? The caption seems to suggest that this is because the east side is the one with a pedestrian walkway, while the west side has a bike lane; but it can’t always have been that way, and anyway I’ve seen pedestrians on both sides. I suppose it could also be that the east side’s easier to get to from the City (south) end of the bridge, that (again from the south end) the east side is on the right and somehow (since we drive on the right) more natural, or something like that. Is that all there is to it, or are there psychological reasons why a jumper would prefer to be facing the City (and by implication, the world) rather than turning his or her back on it? What are the statistics like for other bridges, I wonder?

(I know whenever I’ve contemplated jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge, I’ve always visualized a spot somewhere in the neighborhood of the fairly popular Pole 103. You?)

P.S. Please don’t anyone think I’m less than completely serious about this.

Comments

Also, it must be significant that the largest number have been at pole 69.

—— taleswapper, 3:42 PM, Wednesday, November 2, 2005

I'm guessing that's because it's almost exactly halfway between the towers -- esp. since 71 is the second most common. 85, now that I wonder about.

—— David Moles, 4:04 PM, Wednesday, November 2, 2005

So, are there any pictures of what the scenery is like from each pole? Also, is there data about what time of day / year the suicides occurred?

—— boh, 5:02 AM, Thursday, November 3, 2005

This is something I've thought about a fair bit, as my current novel-in-progress is partly about Golden Gate Bridge jumpers. I don't have a real answer, though, not in a general sense. Could it be that the jumpers want a last look back at the city, at the life being left behind? The overwhelming majority of jumpers are locals.

—— Tim Pratt, 8:19 PM, Thursday, November 3, 2005